Archive for the ‘Wedding’ Category

Back in the day you got a box of sugared almonds at your place setting as a little gift for joining the bride and groom on their special day. And while some may still choose to adopt this time honoured tradition, nowadays couples are putting more imagination into their wedding favours. After all, this is a great way to inject some personality into your day and offer something unique to your guests that they may not have seen before.

So if you’re planning a wedding and have decided to side step tradition and present your guests with something a little more quirky, there are so many fun ideas you could try out for your favours. Below we’ve put together a list of 10 ideas for favours with a difference, ranging from the more extravagant and expensive, to fabulous budget favours that will add the finishing touch to your big day.

1. Say it with seeds

There are so many ways you can present seeds as a wedding favour, from small tie bags to personalised paper packets or even small jars! This versatile favour allows your guests to plant the beautiful seeds of your choosing, so when their flowers bloom they’ll be reminded of your special day each time they look at them.

2. Puzzle it together

There are a number of companies out there that offer personalised wooden favours specially made for your big day. One of the popular options is custom made puzzle pieces, with your names and wedding date carved into them, thanking your guests for celebrating with you. These cute gifts are a very sweet reminder of your day.

3. Make a toast

As the gin revolution has taken the world by storm in recent years, there are so many delicious craft alcohols on offer and these can make really great favours. From bottles of ale, to miniature gins or whiskeys, choose your favourite tipple to share with your guests. You could personalise this further by adding name tags, serving in small jars or even having custom labels stuck on the front.

4. Share your good fortune

Share a message of love and good fortune with your guests on an affordable budget. There are a number of retailers out there offering personalised fortune cookies and these can be packaged in small packets or individual boxes depending on what you choose.

5. Celebrate with a great cuppa

Is there anything more British than a good brew? As the tea revolution continues, why not choose unique or interesting flavoured tea bags to present to your guests. You can add some context with sweet slogans such as ‘Love is brewing’ or simply add your names and wedding date to the packets.

6. Let the sun shine

If you’re planning a summer wedding, why not add some fun to your favours with personalised sunglasses. You can choose your own message and select colours to match your wedding theme. These are fun and practical gifts, and just think of the great wedding photos you can get as all your guests don their personalised sunnies on your big day.

7. Choose something sweet

There are a number of sweet treats with a twist that you can choose for your guests, from chocolates with your initials on, to personalised Love Heart sweets and even individually boxed Krispy Kreme donuts! The choices are endless and perfect if you’ve got a real sweet tooth.

8. Let’s raise a (shot) glass

Are you known to like a drink? Perhaps personalised shot glasses could be the perfect favour to get the party started. Your guests (all those over 18 of course!) can raise a shot glass to the happy couple and you could ask your caterers to go round and fill these with your favourite spirit or cocktail, and perhaps a mocktail for those who aren’t quite old enough yet.

9. Give the gift of charity

If there’s a particular charity that’s close to your heart, why not donate the money you would have spent on favours to them. You can then give your guests a little gift that explains what you’ve done. For example, charity pins, wristbands or cards.

10. Hangover kits

It’s not a wedding without a few glasses of champagne, so prepare your guests for the morning after. You can order custom made hangover kits online, or perhaps even get creative and make your own. Find small bags or boxes and these can include things like mints, face wipes, paracetamol and Lucozade.

There you have it, 10 great ideas for unique wedding favours and if you want to add a personal touch check out our own range of gifts.

Have you been asked to be a bridesmaid in a friend or close relative’s wedding? Congratulations! It’s quite an honour that someone thinks so highly of you. Just know that this isn’t something you can just show up to and hope for the best. There is effort involved. Being a bridesmaid comes with a lot of responsibilities with you being in charge of many things. Fortunately for you, we are going to share with you the ultimate guide to being the best bridesmaid you can be.

Always put the bride first

As a bridesmaid, your loyalty is to the bride. You will need to be there for her and help her with some of the most important decisions she will make for her special day. Even if you don’t agree with her style or the decisions she makes, remember that your loyalty is to her. It’s your job to ensure she feels good about herself and her decisions.

Understand her needs

Every bride is different, so find out exactly what she wants or needs from you. If she is not clear about her expectations of you, don’t hesitate to ask. The bride might only want you to show up for her wedding or expect you to take on a more active role in the planning of the big day.

Be a team player

There is a high possibility that there will be more than one bridesmaid for the wedding. Ensure that you put on a united front, even if you don’t agree with the other bridesmaid’s suggestions. Remember that you are all there for the same reason, which is to help ensure that the bride’s big day goes well.

If at any time you don’t get along well with the other bridesmaids, you risk ruining the wedding. Although there might be little issues within the group, keep them to yourself. Keep in mind that at the end of the day, you are all there for your best friend.

The bride’s always right (even when she’s wrong)

It’s always good to remember that the wedding is about the bride and not you. If, for instance, she chooses an outfit that you feel is hideous, try and voice your opinion in a nice, subtle manner. If afterwards she still wants you to wear it that is what you should do. If the bride asks you to do something that you wouldn’t do in your wedding then, again it’s best just to get on with it for the sake of the harmony of the day. For most brides, the wedding day is a day they have envisioned since their childhood so it’s important to try not to ruin her big day by not cooperating.

Share your opinion sparingly

There are instances when the bride may seek your opinion about something. While it’s okay to be honest and voice your opinion, if your response causes her distress, back off and ask her what she thinks instead. While it’s important to be open and honest with her, a lot of the time the bride is just looking for validation of their own ideas and so often giving them a conflicting opinion won’t achieve anything other than stressing her out.

Choosing the venue

Although some couples may know exactly where they want to hold their wedding, there are those who don’t. As an awesome and dedicated bridesmaid, take an evening or two to discuss the available options and help them to look at what’s available within their budget.

Dress shopping

Trying on wedding dresses is an important part of planning for the big day. Your role as a bridesmaid when choosing a wedding dress is a little tricky. You need to be able to strike a balance between being constructive and putting the bride to be off the dress of her dreams. Take the time to find out beforehand what she has in mind so that you don’t blurt out something hurtful like “lace dresses suck!” when it’s the style she has her heart set on.

Planning the hen do

This is the fun part of the whole wedding preparation process. It gives you a chance to blow off a bit of steam from all the planning. Although it’s usually the bridesmaids’ job to plan a wild night out with the girls, we highly recommend that you get some inspiration from the bride. Does she want you to go all out on a trip of a lifetime to Las Vegas or we should prefer an intimate, low-key event? Once again, it’s important to plan the hen she would love, not what you want to do. That said, don’t limit your imagination when planning a hen do as there is no right or wrong as long as the bride gets the send-off she deserves.

Have a wedding budget

You should know that being a bridesmaid will most likely cost you money. From the dress, shoes, bag, hair and makeup, the hen do and bridal showers, it all costs money. It’s a good idea to find out early on what costs the bride and groom are willing to pay for and what costs they expect you to cover yourself.

Give her a gift

It’s a nice touch to give the bride a gift the night before or morning of the wedding and it might just notch you up from a good bridesmaid to an awesome one! Get her something personal that shows her how much you care about her and how honoured you are to be part of her big day. A wedding bouquet charm or personalised bracelet would be the ideal gift that would mean the world to her.

Practice on your speech

If you are going to make a speech, doing some practice helps as it ensures that you don’t spend the entire time staring down at your notes. There will likely be lots of speeches to get through so it’s always a good idea to keep it relatively short and light hearted. Try to part with some words of advice, and wish the newlyweds a long and happy marriage.

Finally, the wedding ceremony is the ultimate party and you are privileged to be a big part of it. So dance, laugh, mingle and enjoy the day. If you have you carried off your bridesmaid’s duties to a tee then you’ll have earned it!

Use these tips to help your best friend get the perfect wedding day by providing her with the support that she deserves.